A sweeping statement from Jumbo Plastic-Basilan.
Relying heavily on Season Most Valuable Player (MVP) Hesed Gabo, the Peace Riders dominated all the games this season including Game 2 of the Mindanao leg Finals of the 2021 Chooks-to- Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup against Petra Cement-Roxas to set-up a Southern Finals with Visayas Kings KCS-Mandaue.
Basilan was relentless, scoring in every corner throughout the game to down the Vanguards, 89-70, for the two-game sweep of their semifinals 2 series on Monday at the Pagadian City Gymnasium in Zamboanga del Sur.
Chris Bitoon, who posted 10 points along with eight assists, three rebounds and three steals, was named as the Finals MVP for averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 rebounds per game.
“I am very happy to represent my province and win the Finals MVP,” Bitoon said, whose parents hail from Basilan.
Season MVP Hesed Gabo led Basilan with 13 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Michael Juico added 12 points, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
Basilan, which swept all 10 games in the leg, now sets its sight to the Southern Finals against Mandaue in a best-of-five showdown. The series starts on Wednesday.
The Vanguards went basket-per-basket with the Peace Riders in the first half, even grabbing the advantage at halftime, 34-32. But the Peace Riders got their rhythm back just in time, unloading a 35-point bomb on the Vanguards in the third canto for a 67-53 lead entering the last period.
Basilan, not done yet, followed it up with 13 unanswered points to establish an insurmountable 27-point spread at the 5:03 mark, 80-53.
Roxas starting center Lester Reyes hit the showers early at the 3:57 mark of the second period after a hit on Basilan’s Hesed Gabo, which the officials deemed as flagrant foul penalty 2.
Before the ejection of Reyes, the Peace Riders were limited to just 16 points in the paint. After he was gone, Basilan just pounded the paint, finishing with 48.
Aside from Reyes, there were other flagrant foul penalty 1s called on Kim Saliddin, Jhong Bondoc, and Raj Elmejrab. James Castro was called for a technical foul.
Leo Najorda paced the Vanguards with 15 points. Castro added 13 points and five rebounds but had six turnovers.
Jordan Sta. Ana missed the game due to a left knee strain.
Besides the honor of being Mindanao champions, the Peace Riders will also bring home P500,000 courtesy of Chooks-to-Go. The Vanguards will not go home empty-handed with P100,000.